The inservice is provided by SCARCE. In this (free) 30-45 minute session, a SCARCE representative educates the teachers and staff of the school about the Earth Flag certification, water & energy conservation, recycling, green initiatives, etc. This program is intended to "kick-off" the school's participation in the Earth Flag certification program. At least 75% of staff and teachers need to be present.

Student education

This requirement is generally the second step of the certification process. SCARCE staff go to the school and present to the students in an assembly-type setting. Please contact SCARCE for a list of educational programs available for this step, including the description and cost for all assemblies.

Reduction activities

This step of the Earth Flag certification can be done by the school or with SCARCE help. Some examples of reduction activities are no-waste lunch, waste audit, paper-free day, locker/desk leftover, book/puzzle exchanges, both sides of paper policy, one note home per family, etc. If you would like more information on any of the reduction activities, please contact SCARCE.

Ongoing school recycling policy

Recycling is an extremely important step in the Earth Flag certification process. The school must have recycling for paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum. If you do not already have recycling at your school, SCARCE can help you with set up and implementation.

Re-Certification

If your school earned or recertified its Earth Flag prior to June 2002, you are ready to recertify! The recertification program is designed to revitalize your school’s environmental efforts and to educate students and staff new to your school since its original Earth Flag certification. The requirements for recertification are the same as the the requirements for earning an Earth Flag (see above).

The Earth Flag Program is funded by the DuPage County Environmental Committee

285 of the 320 schools in DuPage County have earned their Earth Flag -- has yours? Have you recertified? How about an Ecology Flag? There are so many ways to show your commitment to a healthy planet!

"NOW Foods has been partnering with SCARCE for a number of years. This partnership led us to undertake efforts which resulted in SCARCE recognizing NOW Foods as the first for-profit company to earn the Earth Flag for Business. The experience has been extremely positive for our company as a whole and for individual employees. For NOW, the Earth Flag is a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together to promote environmental sustainability. It’s a symbol of what we’ve accomplished, and a symbol of what we continually strive to be. Since being awarded the Earth Flag, NOW has been recognized by the Illinois Recycling Association with the 2007 Outstanding Business Recycling Program award. Our recycling program diverted almost 50% of our refuse from the landfill and provides NOW with a financial benefit of $40,000 a year. Our Board of Directors recently chartered an Environmental Sustainability Committee which endeavors to implement measures which conserve energy and resources. SCARCE has been, and continues to be, integral to NOW’s environmental efforts. We consider SCARCE a partner and an invaluable resource."- Dan Scoles, Safety Manager, at NOW Foods